Invest more in education of people with albinism - call

Tanzanians have been urged to invest in education in order to support pupils with albinism to proceed with their studies for the betterment of the country's development and its people's future.

This was said here over the weekend by president and founder of Under the Same Sun (UTSS) Peter Ash at an awarding ceremony to 20 pupils with albinism who passed both their annual and terminal examinations.

“Today we are here for a very special occasion, of which our beloved pupils with albinism have excelled in their examinations,” he said

Ash urged communities to value pupils with albinism in the country because, if empowered, they can do wonders in the country, urged them not to intimidate them since they are like other pupils.

"Children with albinism are smart like other children in the world, they succeed in school examinations and other things. When we started an education fund programme in Tanzania we believed pupils with albinism had the ability to perform well and that is why we are here today,” he said.

He urged pupils with albinism in the country to study had so that in future years future they will be in a position to serve the country in getting positive development.

Pupils who were awarded were from Jelly’s English Medium School and Lake View English Medium School.

For his part, UTSS Tanzania Education Scholarship Fund programme officer Gamariel Mboya said UTSS decided to award the pupils with albinism so as to value their efforts as they had been transferred from ordinary schools to English medium schools where it was thought they couldn’t perform well.

“Our president and founder of UTSS Peter Ash was having a plan last year to award pupils with albinism who were transferred from Mitindo Primary School in Misungwi district to come here to study in special English medium schools in Mwanza city. As you can see today, actually we are very proud of them, they have performed well in their examinations compared to pupils who were studying here before,” said Mboya.

For her part, UTSS Tanzania executive director for Media and International Affairs Vicky Ntetema noted that Sasuma was a confident albinism pupil after she visited him last year at his school in Kahama district and encouraged him to study hard.

“Today we are awarding a confident and heroic pupil," she said.

Ntetema urged the government through the Ministry of Education and Culture to provide training to teachers who teache pupils with albinism so they can be competent in their work.